Converting Workshop Into Studio Questions?

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idoteech

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Hi Everyone. First of all, I just want to say that I have learned SO much from many of you. Thank you for your helpful insight. I just began recording at home about 8 months ago. I have my studio presently set up in my bedroom, but it's less than ideal at this point. My husband has so graciously decided to give me his workshop out back to convert to a studio.

It is 16x20 with 8' ceilings (maybe 9') built on a concrete slab. The interior has sheetrock walls and the exterior is vinyl siding. We live in a controlled subdivision, so we had no choice but to built it to those specs. Anyway, I really don't even know where to begin. My dad was a carpenter for years, so he can do all the work. Here are some questions:

1. Should I build a soundproof partition wall with a soundproof glass/window to separate my control room from my vocal/drum/live recording room?

2. Should I carpet the floors?

3. What should I put on the walls? Where?

If I do put a wall, one room would be 9x16 and the other 11x16. It has to be that way b/c of the location of the outside door.

ANY suggestions would be appreciated!

By-the-way: Here is a list of my equipment:
Pro Tools LE
2 19" monitors
Dell PC with 3 gb ram
2 Rokit K5 Reference Monitors
1 Headphone Amp with 3 sets Yamaha Heaphones
2 Marshall MX990 Condenser Mics
1 Behringer B1 Condenser
1 Nady Ribbon Mic
1 Yamaha Weighted Key Keyboard
1 Casio WX330 Keyboard
3 Rhythm Guitars
1 Electric Guitar
2 Bass Guitars
1 Set Mapex Blue Ice Drums
Drum Mic Kit w/Mixer

Thanks!!!
Eva
www.evaglasscock.com
www.myspace.com/evaglasscock
 
Wow what a sacrifice to give up a workshop for you.

Regarding your questions. I guess it just depends on how much yo want to spend. Do you have heating and humidity control?

Sound proofing can get expensive and dividing it is going to give you two pretty small rooms. I think for the sake of having room for a band I would go with one room. Maybe you could put an addition on later if you want a real control room.
If your in a noisy local you may be forced to sound proof. If this is the case plan on resheeting and insulating the entire area along with resealing all the outlets.

With a cement floor I think you want at least a large room rug. Perhaps a little auralex or better yet make a couple your self with Owens Corning 705 semi-rigid fiberglass panels, these will cut down sound reflection you will also need some bass traps in the corners.
 
If it was me, I'd leave it all 1 room. It's just not big enough to effectively split into 2 good sized rooms.

Leave the floor hard but putting wood over the top is better than concrete if budget allows. Make the ceiling soft and relatively thick absorbtion.

Treat the front with absorbtion and kill all the upper corners. Leave the rear of the room a bit more live and potentially introduce some diffusion.

Bryan
 
A second layer of dry wall (sheet rock, gypsum board or whatever you perfer to call it) would be the first thing I would recomend. This will help keep sounds in/out. If the concrete floor makes the room seem "ringy" carpet or a large rug should help. Bass traps will cut down on "boominess" especialy if you play loud. A couple of sheets of plywood to go under the drums is also a good idea. This prevents the concrete floor from scratching the drums and provides a surface where you can tack blocks to prevent the drums from moving or sliding. Keep it all in one room, you will have to watch the level meters a little more clocely but you wont sacrifice the space. You might want to get (or build) a couple of good gobos, reflective on one side absorbing on the other, will give you various options to work with. If the drums seem a little boomy or the cymbals too harsh, a cloud hung over the set will help a lot. I hope this gives you some ideas, it's all based on things I did to improve my room (13X27w9 ft. celing.)
 
all really good suggestions...if you have the money I would put in a good wood slat floor, and use area rugs. Your intended live room is exactly the size of mine 16X20 and I have my mix area in the same room, but I have a larger "work shop" and used the rear 16X12 as drum room (building is 16X32}, and I have a double glass window between rooms at console, plus in corner of live room I created an irregular shaped vocal booth it is dead, old heavy drapes are good esp w/aurelex backing... The Hvac is most important and dubling up on the sheetrock. You can buy an Aurelex "kit" with bass traps and treat as you seem neccessary at first, use d/b tape in case you want to move them, I also built some of the 705corning bass traps they work real well. Take a look at my web its got a picture. Good luck, great husband!
 
I disagree with Brian, as usual(haha), about the room being too small to split. I think 9'x16', and 11'x16' is decent. My rooms are: drum booth 9'x5', vox 9'x2', live room 7'6"x6', and control room 7'6"x6'. So I'd kill for a 16'x11' control room, with 16'x9' live room, :D.

In the control room you want hard flooring, bass traps in all the corners you can(including ceiling corners), and broadband absorption in the first reflection points(including ceiling and back wall). Then in the control room, I'd have absorption on the ceiling, and movable gobos, for flexibility.
 
Personal preference. Having 2 different spaces definitely has it's advantages. However, limiting my self to a 9' wide space isn't something I'd personally do. There are just too many issues with it. Your treatment regimen in the control room alone would likely be the same as it would be in the larger space just to deal with the smallness and close dimensions.

Bryan
 
bpape said:
Personal preference. Having 2 different spaces definitely has it's advantages. However, limiting my self to a 9' wide space isn't something I'd personally do. There are just too many issues with it. Your treatment regimen in the control room alone would likely be the same as it would be in the larger space just to deal with the smallness and close dimensions.

Bryan
Click to expand...

My longest room dimention is 9', hahaha.
 
leave it all one room; chopping it up will make it really, really small in a hurry, and if youa re mostly recording yourself, it will jsut make it inconvenient to duplicate controls etc.
a second layer of drywall is probably the most effective (cost/time/labor) thing
to do as far as sound proofing (this includes the ceiling as well).
Make sure the door is nice and heavy, and make some arrangements for hvac and good clean dedicated power.
very thoughtful of your spouse to give up the space for you!
go check out ethan winer & john sayers web sites before you spend any sweat or money!
research, research, research, research!
C.
 
chugheshc said:
leave it all one room; chopping it up will make it really, really small in a hurry, and if youa re mostly recording yourself, it will jsut make it inconvenient to duplicate controls etc.
a second layer of drywall is probably the most effective (cost/time/labor) thing
to do as far as sound proofing (this includes the ceiling as well).
Make sure the door is nice and heavy, and make some arrangements for hvac and good clean dedicated power.
very thoughtful of your spouse to give up the space for you!
go check out ethan winer & john sayers web sites before you spend any sweat or money!
research, research, research, research!
C.
Click to expand...

That's it in a nutshell...btw, if you ever put a drummer, 2 guitar players, a bass player and singer in a 11X16 room your husband won't like it, and neither will you...more room, more ambience.
 
i have a "nutshell" studio -
soon I will be trying to cram drums, guitars, bass into 11' X 11'.
wish me luck.
C.
 
chugheshc said:
i have a "nutshell" studio -
soon I will be trying to cram drums, guitars, bass into 11' X 11'.
wish me luck.
C.
Click to expand...
good luck with a small square room. Why not record separately? Unless you're practicing.
 
mostly do, but seems like some people want to get together and play, so I am trying to accomodate. drummer says he will use softsticks, brushes, etc.
so we'll see.
C.
 
Can't really get a great sound with softsticks, in my experience, n brushes are for jazz only, imo. So unless they're jazz, or it just for practice, then i think you gotta use sticks.
 
put the drummer outside on the patio with a pair of headphones.
 
pandamonk said:
I disagree with Brian, as usual(haha), about the room being too small to split. I think 9'x16', and 11'x16' is decent. My rooms are: drum booth 9'x5', vox 9'x2', live room 7'6"x6', and control room 7'6"x6'. So I'd kill for a 16'x11' control room, with 16'x9' live room, :D.

In the control room you want hard flooring, bass traps in all the corners you can(including ceiling corners), and broadband absorption in the first reflection points(including ceiling and back wall). Then in the control room, I'd have absorption on the ceiling, and movable gobos, for flexibility.
Click to expand...
I meant tracking room :o
 
actually it went pretty good - he used regular sticks, and he is pretty kick ass.
unfortunately, no guitarists showed up, so I don;t have a feel for three people at once, but I am tickeld wiht teh drum sounds I get from an actual drummer.
(I am not very good on drums).
yay for me.
C.
 
I would do some major research on your space, the type of recording you want to do, how long you will be using the space ect.

1. Consider building codes and get yourself edumacated by buying some great books on home studio design. Also visit as many acoustic studio D.I.Y websites you can get. This is one of my all time favorites and Jon is a D.I.Y. genius.

johnlsayers.com

2. Once you have burned into your mind the kind of space you want apply the knowledge you have gained and the expert advice of the above lads but only when you have a decent understanding of acoustics 101 or someone to design it for you based on your budget and needs. Many a space and materials have been wasted on jumping the gun. I personaly had to tear apart some of my studio and re-design because the more I learned the more I realized I did it all wrong and trust me it can be done wrong when 120db drums, bass, and two stacks are screaming through every possible connection in your structure.

3. How far do you want to go? Floating slabs, pin drop silence, massive HVAC duct runs between rooms with build in plenums? Or good solid acoustic space for recordings?

4. Applying some good working knowledge of space and doing the basics right you can build an awsome space that will do your recordings justice.

Some of us wish we could do many things over again with what we know now so just be sure and gather all the info, let it simmer then go at it with a good solid foundation.
 
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